A Past In The Present
by NuttBar
Summary: When Leliana finds someone from her past.
1. Chapter 1

NuttBar here. First fanfic. Just tell me if you enjoyed it and if I should continue. Characters of Dragon Age belong to their respective owners. Ailis is mine.

Leliana watched the woman beside her in her bed. She had fallen in love with this woman before she walked with The Warden. Lothering was a place where she found her calling for helping others in the Chantry. This woman was a templar. She held a two handed sword as if it were a dagger. She had an immense strength inside and out. The dark, shaggy, blonde hair was the same as the day the first saw her. Black eyes were rare in Thedas. They were said to always find the truth.

They had met on the day that Leliana came to the Chantry after her break from her jail. The woman was a rookie, but not a stupid rookie. She was always helping Dorthea ith anything and everything in the Chantry. Watching a heavily armored woman sweep the Chantry floor, play with children, and stay up to keep watch. She never complained and never wavered when someone came for help. She dealt with everyone the same way. Except for herself. She quietly made her life better. Food when she would forget. A presence when she didn't want to be alone. A light in the dark when there was nothing else.

Dorthea pushed them gently together, however she was pushing away everyone. She then walked with the Warden. She found that she missed the woman very much. The solid presence that never left.

When she went back to The Divine she was beyond happy when she found the woman still guarding her old savior. She looked more mature the last time she saw the templar. She still wore her two-handed sword. Cassandra had easily struck up a friend with the woman. They were two kindred spirits, and the templar was made her unofficial second in command. When Cassandra couldn't be there she was.  
"Ailis." She loved the name of her lover. It felt more like a sugar than a name. It suited her. Ailis mumbled and moved her head to the side exposing her neck. Leliana's mouth watered at the sight of the corded muscle moving. Ailis had a shirt on, but it was open exposing only her stomach and her sternum. She looked all she wanted. Her eyes traced all of her scars. She followed with her fingers.

One particular scar stood out. It was one that trailed from her sternum over her collar bone and onto her shoulder. That was the one that saved her life from the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Someone tried to assassinate the Divine and a few of the Revered Mothers. She stopped the attack but was forced to stay at their base in Haven. She withdrew from everyone when she found out about the explosion, about the Divine's death. She would not talk to anyone, only doing what she was ordered to by Cullen.

She only recently came out of her bubble. Leliana had to work at it. She had to do the same things that Ailis had done for her. Constant presence even if only in small letters. She had to romance her lover once again. She made a twice daily personal letter; always simple, always unique. Sometimes she had to have help from Varric and Josephine. She was frustrated at the rate that it was going, but she finally got her release.

This night was perfect. She entered her room to find it filled with Andraste's Grace and lit candles. Ailis was in her full dress plate armor. She knew that Leliana loved it. She was more than ready to take the armor apart. She was going to have fun.


	2. Chapter 2

Leliana watched as Ailis woke up. She had a hazy look in her eyes, but it instantly cleared when she saw Leliana. A smile erupted on her face. She leaned up on her left arm, pulling Leliana down into another heated kiss. Leliana pressed herself into Ailis. She shuddered when their chests touched. Her wearing nothing, Ailis only a shirt, and loose pants. Dress armor was strewn across the room along with her own. Leliana loved feeling this again. Feeling another person warming her heart and soul. It had been so cold and barren for a long time.

A sudden push made Leliana roll onto her back. She was surprised that Ailis could do that to her. No one was able to surprise her anymore. She smiled as Ailis settled on top of her sheet covered hips, foreheads connected. "Not many have surprised me in a long time." A low, throaty chuckle vibrated in Ailis' chest. "Not many have this advantage. I am glad that I have that." Ailis pushed Leliana to the bed. Her collarbone was attacked by the templar. Teeth nibbled and a hand ran itself over her side, counting ribs. Leliana gasped.

 _I love this. I have missed this so much. A person is never meant to live in darkness, never meant to live all alone. I'm in love with her._ Leliana chuckled.

"What is it, love?" Her neck was the next causality.

"I've just realized something."

"Oh, what is that?" An earlobe was nibbled on next.

"That I am in love. It has only taken a decade." Ailis' suddenly stopped, and Leliana feared she had made another mistake.

Ailis pulled back to look at her. A serious look on her face she asked, "Whom is it? I must admit I am jealous."

Leliana laughed at the thought of someone else loving her as Ailis did. "It is you, silly. I am in love with you." She pulled the templar down onto her. "No one can take your place. So you should not worry." She kissed the blonde soundly to make any worry, real or fake, disappear.

Ailis smiled against her mouth. They battled for dominance until someone knocked on Leliana's door. Both groaned at the thought of someone interrupting their evening. Ailis got up, beginning to pick up the armor to clear it out of the line of sight of the door. She passed the leather and chainmail armor to the spy master, whom quickly dressed.

Ailis hid behind the bed against the cold floor. "Yes, yes. I'm coming." Ailis stiffened at the comment. She began to think that everything Leliana said had a second sexual context just for her to enjoy.

The door opened, but only a little. Ailis watched through the space under the bed. "Mistress. You instructed me to come with this missive as soon as it came into my possession." Leliana took the scroll, quickly looking at it. She had forgotten about it. It contained what she had suspected, but nothing could be done right now. "Thank you. You may leave now." She was still looking at the scroll when Ailis nearly came out of her hiding spot to attack the man. Leliana closed the door with her heel, effectively locking the world out of the room.

She rolled the scroll up, placing it on her desk. She gasped, startled by the sudden kiss that came from the templar. It was fierce. It was possessive. It was jealousy incarnate. Her mind raced. She realized that the agent must have done something that made Ailis do this.

Ailis did nothing to hide the fact that she was jealous. She looked at the woman who was now putty in her hands. "He was looking at you lecherously. You are mine, and I am yours. Nothing will change that, but you." Leliana was cut off from saying anything as Ailis kissed her fiercely again.

A smile found its way to her lips, but soon fell. It was morning now. She had to leave, and begin her day. She groaned at the thought. Ailis placed her head on Leliana's shoulder.

"I must ask you something." Ailis said as she hid her face in her lover's neck. "Do you want people to know, or should I restrain myself? I don't want to hurt you."  
Leliana was touched that Ailis knew her work so well that she asked. She was also happy that the blonde wanted to love her in public. "Let's just keep it between you and I. I will tell Josephine and Varric to stay quiet. I don't want to share you with anyone quite yet." She hugged the templar fiercely. She tried to show her love as much as she could though the gesture.

Ailis straightened, kissed Leliana's forehead, and began to dress in her own leather armor she had hidden the night before. Leliana groaned again at the thought of having to stay away from Ailis the rest of the day. "I know how you feel love. I know the thought of you watching me train with Cassandra makes it somewhat better."

Leliana smiled. She loved that Ailis knew her so well. "Thank you. I will see you from the rookery." She turned, leaving and denying the blonde her kiss she demanded. A deep groan coming from her lover made Leliana smile, and lift her day even further.

True to her word Ailis was training with Cassandra. Leliana posted herself near the window just to see her love go through drills. Cassandra was a task master when it came to training. There was just one thing that the Seeker did not compensate for. Ailis' endurance. Cassandra was starting do lose in their faux duel. Ailis threw her shield away making it easier for her to move. Leliana walked out onto the walkway that connected Cullen's office to her rookery. She was surprised to see some soldiers and Cullen already there.

"What is going on?" She asked. The soldier nearly emptied his bowels when he turned to look at the new spectator. "We are betting on which will win. Ailis or Cassandra...ma'am." She turned to the fight. "How much to get into this betting pool?" She heard one silver. She produced one. She smiled, stating, "Ailis will win. Cassandra is tiring quickly." She dare not to say that she knew Ailis and her abilities.

Ailis began to rain blows against Cassandra's shield. The Seeker could barely keep up with deflecting them. Ailis planted a foot in the ground and thrusted into the wooden shield. It splintered, the point of the sword pointed away from the Right Hand.

Leliana could not believe what she saw next. Ailis dropped her grip on the handle of the sword, spinning into Cassandra's personal space, grasping Cassandra's sword she yanked it out of the Seeker's hand. Being completely disarmed Cassandra conceded the match. Leliana wanted to scream in joy that Ailis won. Her lover had won. She knew better though. She listened to the group of soldiers all groan.

Scout Harding collected the silvers and grinned at Leliana. "Here you go ma'am. Your share." She giggled as the soldiers continued to grumble. "If I could convince her I would ask her to be a scout with me, however I know that it isn't possible. She has something keeping her behind these walls. "The dwarf winked up at the spy master. Leliana was shocked, and for once, couldn't say anything.

She couldn't deny it, because she would break her own heart, but she didn't want to say it was true because gossip would be raised. "Don't worry ma'am. I don't make gossip. I know how to keep my head around here." Scout Harding walked away after bowing to the red head.

Leliana just tilted her head to the side. _I must be losing my touch._ She walked back into the rookery just in time to receive a summons from Josephine. She told the messenger that she will be along behind them in a few minutes. The messenger left quickly. _I swear Josie if you ask about my night with Ailis..._ she let her thought drift off from there. She then got the idea of what she wanted to do when she went to bed. She smiled as her mouth watered. Her mind wandered until she found herself in front of the ambassador's office door. She breathed deeply and walked in.


End file.
